Chapter 98: Angel Descends, Iron-headed Bat
Inside the Batcave.
The cold light of hundreds of screens flickered, and the mechanical hum echoed between the rock walls. The sudden thunder that appeared in the underground base indeed startled Bruce Wayne badly.
The handwriting burning with holy flame reflected in Bruce’s violently shaking pupils, but after his body briefly entered a stress response and tensed vigilantly for a few seconds, he calmed down.
“Click~ Click~”
The armor on his body directly disengaged under Bruce’s manual release, scattering all over the ground. He straightened his neckline, rolled up his sleeves, and walked toward another airtight cabin.
With identity verification unlocking, the airtight cabin slowly opened—inside still held a branch of Speed Force glowing with brilliant gold. The Batman, who never gave up easily, unsealed his backup Speed Force.
He had no super speed, but he also had peak human physical quality. However, even though he immediately used his body to shield the Speed Force and ran toward a certain instrument in the Batcave.
“Boom!”
But this behavior obviously failed to prevent some special gaze.
It was as if some existence had completely locked onto him, and thunder appeared out of thin air again. At this moment, the entire Batcave’s defense system powered up to full.
An energy barrier formed visible blue ripples in the air, even distorting the air slightly due to static electricity. However, the thunder still broke through all the protective measures Bruce activated and landed straight in his arms. All protective measures were torn apart like paper scraps, and the shockwave flipped Bruce to the ground.
His back slammed heavily into the console.
“Bang~”
The container naturally exploded into powder again, with the stored Speed Force completely escaping and dissipating into fine golden light spots in the air.
“Ugh~”
Struck by white lightning, even Bruce himself felt a soul-piercing pain far exceeding any physical injury, causing him, who had extremely strong pain tolerance, to grunt involuntarily. He moved his electrified numb fingers and looked at the ground with a hoarse but determined voice.
“This will only intensify my curiosity.”
Familiar handwriting reflected in Bruce’s eyes.
【Second Warning】
The words still lingering with holy flame burned on the ground, edges glowing with eerie holy white light, extremely conspicuous. In response, Bruce showed no further surprise.
He simply stood up and checked his painful but unscathed body—third branch, fourth branch, drone air transport, mechanical pangolin ground transport.
Backup to the backup Speed Force, backup to the backup of the backup Speed Force… five or six branches of Speed Force were successively attempted by Bruce in different ways to transport to the machine in front of him that could use Speed Force to view the past.
However.
Without exception.
Thunder always appeared immediately, destroying even Speed Force outside his field of vision, even outside his physical location—and when Bruce returned to the Batcave.
All he saw was shattered containers on the ground.
Even though Bruce took no further action this time, he still saw white lightning appear out of thin air, carrying incomparable power and shock. Instantly, the entire Batcave was lit as bright as daylight, followed by a deafening roar echoing in the cave, as if about to collapse the entire cavern.
Three machines that could be used to utilize Speed Force instantly turned into scrap metal under this thunder strike. Thick smoke billowed, and the pungent smell of burnt char filled the air.
【This is the final warning!!】
On the ground, holy flame burned.
The white flames emitted warm, non-dazzling light.
As if possessing the power to purify everything.
At first.
The flames were just scattered in tiny spots on the Batcave floor, like twinkling stars in the night sky. But soon, these light spots began to gather and expand, gradually forming a continuous sea of fire.
The existence in the void seemed provoked.
“Hm.”
Expressionlessly watching this scene.
Bruce took out a monitoring device—as expected, his Speed Force reserves hidden in five other locations and six machines capable of using Speed Force were all destroyed at the same time.
At the same time.
Under Bruce’s gaze as he looked up.
Those burning flames did not burn down the entire Batcave but quickly regathered at high speed. English, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian, even Hindi.
Rows upon rows of holy flame text rose into the air on the wide ground, using different languages, almost covering all known language types on Earth.
However.
All expressing the same meaning.
【This really is the final warning!】
Obviously.
Bruce’s behavior perhaps made the existence in the void mistakenly think Bruce couldn’t read English, making this higher-level spy somewhat doubt its own English proficiency.
“Heh.”
Bruce sneered.
He placed the portable briefcase in his hand on the table, took out a crystal ball shimmering with magical glow, and directly inserted it into a strangely shaped odd machine.
【Verification passed, computing core detected】
A mechanical female voice echoed in the empty cave.
“Begin simulation.”
Bruce had clearly switched strategies.
Relying on his vast knowledge and exceptional wisdom, he prepared to use his magical collection and special computer to simulate Superman Clark’s day in that special time. His fingers danced rapidly on the keyboard, inputting complex commands, his face focused and serious under the blue screen light.
“Bang~”
The computer’s sudden power outage and explosion was within Bruce’s prediction.
Immediately after.
“Whoosh~”
A sound of wings flapping suddenly came to Bruce’s ears.
This sound was particularly abrupt and loud in the silent Batcave. He turned his head unsurprised and saw a figure slowly emerging from the darkness.
This was actually Bruce’s persistent goal.
“Bruce Wayne, can’t you read? Won’t stop, huh? If your brain’s sick, I suggest you lock yourself in your beloved Arkham.”
The figure emerging from the darkness had slightly dark skin, a more burly black angel dressed in a black robe that fluttered like black flames in the wind.
Contrasting with the pitch-black wings behind him. The angel’s wings spread, though black, emitted a holy glow, giving a terrifying oppressive force that one dared not look directly at.
“Firstborn of God, Amanadiel, looks like I found the right direction.” Bruce seemed to have done his homework long ago and was not shocked by the angel’s sudden arrival.
He had clearly anticipated this would happen, even calling out the other’s name in a low voice.
“Think you’re smart, huh? Bruce Wayne, you think you can outsmart us?” Angel Amanadiel jabbed his own temple hard.
His voice was full of anger and helplessness. “Bruce Wayne, you shouldn’t try to spy on things you’re not supposed to know. That’s not good for you or this world.”
Amanadiel walked forward a few steps, positioning himself in the middle of the Batcave. Each step left burning footprints, his golden pupils filled with serious emotion.
Bruce subtly glanced at the wings behind the angel.
“I can’t ignore an unknown threat. If there’s something I should know, I must find out.” Bruce stared straight at the highest being in this world.
Without fear.
“This is you, right? Severe persecution delusion, thinking the world can’t function without you? Will be destroyed? If you’re really that smart, you’d realize why I’m stopping you.”
“Keep investigating, and you’ll become the force that destroys this world!”
Angel Amanadiel’s tone carried a stern warning. His wings suddenly spread, whipping up a gale in the cave that extinguished the holy flames on the ground and damaged machines.
“If it’s so important, why not kill me to stop me.” Bruce was not intimidated but clasped his hands behind his back, quietly pressing the hidden activation key.
At the same time.
An instrument placed in some mysterious area slowly lit up.
【Data scanning and logging in progress, filed under established archive—Angel.】
【New information logging in…】
【This scan record undetected, generating judgment info: Angel loses near-omniscience abilities after leaving Heaven.】 This mysterious instrument was operating frantically.
Bruce in the Batcave acted as if nothing happened.
“Don’t play dumb.”
Angel Amanadiel stared at the man before him. “If you weren’t somewhat important to us, believe me, your provocations would cost you dearly.”
His voice was full of helplessness. “You think you can control everything? You’re just a mortal. Some powers you can’t understand or wield.”
“Just like some information you really shouldn’t know—you think this is just about Superman and his child? Any observation of that day will tear the structure of our reality.” Angel Amanadiel knew he had to inform Bruce of the severity, or mere words wouldn’t convince this man.
“So, what exactly happened that day, and what does it have to do with Ian Kent’s background?” Bruce frowned; he had realized things were more complex than imagined.
“What could make an angel so afraid?”
He was clearly analyzing Amanadiel.
“Damn Bat!”
Amanadiel gnashed his teeth but was helpless.
“I can’t tell you anything, and don’t bother trying to get answers from Superman. No one in this world can answer your question.”
“Just remember… if you don’t want things neither you nor I wish to see, curb your curiosity.” Angel Amanadiel turned to leave after speaking.
“Wait.”
Bruce called to the angel. This series of operations had destroyed much equipment, including cherished trump cards, not just to verify a hunch.
“How about a deal? Answer one question, and I give up seeking the truth.” Bruce’s voice was unusually low, carrying rare emotional fluctuation.
Angel Amanadiel did not turn back.
“I know what you’re asking, and you know what I’ll say—Bruce, Heaven can’t contain the King of Gotham. You already know where he’ll go.”
His steps toward the door did not slow.
“Hm.”
Batman’s expression showed no emotional fluctuation. This wasn’t the worst answer; he read another message from the angel’s words—he asked about two people, but the angel gave only one answer.
“Remember, really stop probing.”
Angel Amanadiel stopped at the door. He knew once Bruce Wayne decided something, it was hard to change, so he truly hoped the other understood the severity.
After all.
If Bruce continued, the consequences would be unimaginable. After a brief pause, Angel Amanadiel finally decided to reveal some information he could to Batman.
“Bruce, some truths even our Lord chooses to forget.” He spoke in a voice only he and Bruce could hear, turning to give Bruce another deep look.
Then.
“Whoosh~”
That sound again.
Accompanied by the sound of wings flapping.
In the blink of an eye.
Door unopened.
Yet Angel Amanadiel’s figure had vanished from the human world.
The Batcave returned to silence, only the hum of the terminal operating echoed. Bruce glanced at the repowered equipment, his fingertips hovering over the keyboard for a long time.
Finally.
He still pressed the delete key for the 【Ian Kent】 file.
Computers shut down one by one.
Dead silence in the Batcave.
The air still reeked of ozone and scorched metal; the ground littered with lightning-shattered equipment debris, glass fragments that once held Speed Force crunching under Bruce’s boots.
“Alfred.”
He called softly.
His voice echoed faintly in the empty cave.
“I’m here, Master.”
The old butler’s voice came immediately from the communicator.
“Damian’s airplane…” Bruce said, gaze still on the black screen, unsure what he was thinking. “When does it arrive?”
He asked in a casual tone.
“Already arranged, arriving in Gotham in thirty minutes.” Alfred replied from the other end, with pedestrian background noise, as if walking on the street.
Bruce was silent for two seconds.
“I need some alone time to think, so I’ll drive the pickup vehicle.” He made the arrangement and, after a moment’s hesitation, issued the order.
“During this time, start pulling back the surveillance personnel recording at the Kent family’s three sons’ school.” Bruce’s eyes scanned the messy Batcave.
“You’re reducing attention on the Kent family?”
Alfred’s voice sounded surprised.
“No.”
Bruce began changing clothes.
“Quite the opposite.”
He sprayed some perfume on himself in the suit.
“I need to increase attention on their family, but participants and recorders from now on… limited to me alone.” Bruce said solemnly.
This was a deeply considered decision.
The information Angel Amanadiel revealed was too shocking.
For safety.
He decided to ramp up his brain’s intensity a bit.
